Changing offense helped Bedford girls basketball grab win over Bishop Guertin

If at times Tuesday night it didn't seem like the Bedford High School girls basketball team wasn't quite sure what it was doing on offense, that may have just been the case.

Coming off a championship-game loss to Bishop Guertin last year, and losing a handful of longtime varsity players, the Bulldogs underwent some big changes during the offseason.

"We changed our offense because it was getting flat," Bedford coach Sue Thomas said. "We're still figuring it out. Sometimes we tend to panic if we don't get a shot off in 10 seconds."

With three new starters, plus two sophomores and a freshman in the mix, it hasn't always been a smooth transition, but Bedford has been able to make up for it. After rolling to a season-opening win over Trinity last Friday, the Bulldogs came back in the fourth quarter to beat Bishop Guertin 57-49 on Tuesday to move to 2-0 in Division I.

A big reason for that comeback was Bedford's ability to correctly run its offense - or at least, run it correctly enough.

"At times, we didn't actually run it," Thomas said. "And at times, we were wondering what they were doing. They relaxed and as the game progressed, they got more comfortable in the offense. We kept telling them, when we subbed, what they should have been doing. I'm hoping that by the end of the season, it looks a lot more cohesive than it did at times (Tuesday)."

The offense looked good for Bedford at times in the second half, as the Bulldogs opened the third quarter with a 8-1 run to take a 24-17 lead. They also outscored Bishop Guertin 17-4 over the game's final four-plus minutes.

Thomas liked the way that point guard Mia Roy led the Bulldogs, especially considering Roy is replacing Bri Purcell, a four-year varsity player at the position. And despite being in foul trouble, seniors Jenoyce Laniyan and Maddie Blake provided the kind of leadership Bedford is going to need all season.

"Mia Roy had a great game at the point," the coach said. "Bri Purcell was our point guard for four years, so (Roy) has big shoes to fill. Jenoyce Laniyan and Maddie Blake, they just bring a calm and confidence that goes right through the bench. Maddie was in foul trouble early, Jenoyce fouled out, but they still lead the team."

Depth will also be a big factor for Bedford, and the Bulldogs benefited from it against the Cardinals, with 10 different players scoring at least two points. The coaching staff has also been trying to familiarize every player with every position on the court.

"They all play at practice at every position," Thomas said. "Don't be surprised if Jenoyce Laniyan brings the ball up the court. We said you have to know it all.

"They love it and they're still learning it. We're not running it correctly, but it has a lot more energy to it. We need to know when to turn it on and when to back off."

The Bulldogs will have their next shot at that Friday at 6:30 p.m. when they travel to Concord.